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Audio - Raised on a farm in Perryvale, Larry’s first train ride was going to Edmonton to attend the University of Alberta. He competed in wrestling, winning many championships and was on the Canadian National Wrestling team. After completing his…

Audio - Rosie is a community builder, and discusses her many years of involvement with the Athabasca Pottery Club, including finally settling in the basement of the Old Brick School. Also, she is a long-time member of the Athabasca Lions’ Club and…

Audio - From the Ukraine to Halifax to Winnipeg and finally to northern Alberta, Jerry’s maternal grandparents homesteaded in the Paxson area, close to where Jerry has lived most of his life. During WWII, his father was in the army, and after…

Audio - Gladys shares early farm stories, including picking rocks, stooking hay, threshing, gardening and raising farm animals. When growing up, school, 4-H, church and community activities were important. As an adult, Gladys pursued secretarial and…

Audio - Raised in Innisfail, Bruce has had a varied career from running a dairy to selling life insurance to becoming a minister. Bruce shares stories of living in Athabasca for 20 years, from being the Athabasca United Church minister to several…

Audio - After a bomb hit the family home in Holland and killed Christiene’s young brother, eight-year-old Christiene and her family immigrated to Canada in 1952. She later married Aldor Gustafson and moved to Athabasca where they raised six children…

Audio - Growing up in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, Doris loved horses and enjoyed trail riding. Together with her husband Ron, they raised three sons, square danced, volunteered extensively and were members of the Saskatchewan Flying Farmers. A highlight…

Texture (grain size, shape, sorting): Fine to coarse grained Composition (detrital, biochemical, chemical): Mineral crystals (inorganic) or chemical residues (eg. Rust); microcrystalline dolomite Other distinctive properties: Usually light coloured…

Mineralogical Composition: Talc; can be scratched with your fingernail; shades of green, gray, brown, white Texture (grain size, shape, sorting): Fine grained; Nonfoliated Metamorphic grade: High Precursor rock: Basalt, Gabbro, or Ultramafic igneous…

Common Forms/Occurrences: Widely distributed in mountian belts and deeply eroded shield areas of continental crust Useful Identification Test: Optically negative character and large optical axial angle and extinction angle Chemical formula: calcium…

Mineralogical Composition: Mafic; Plagioclase Feldspar, Olivine, Pyroxene, Amphibole Texture (extrusive/intrusive): Extrusive; Aphantic: fine-grained Other distinctive properties: Gray to black; Found in metamorphic belts and rapidly cooled lava…

Mineralogical Composition: Felsic; Muscovite, Quartz, Potassium Feldspar, Plagioclase Feldspar, Amphibole, Biotite Texture (extrusive/intrusive): Intrusive; Phaneritic: coarse-grained Other distinctive properties: Pink to dark gray and even black;…

Common Forms/Occurrences: Common in dolomites and limestones Useful Identification Test: Soluble in H2SO4 with evolution of HF; slightly soluble in HCl Chemical formula: CaF2 Crystal System: Usually cubes Colour: Colourless, purple, blue, gray,…

Audio - Arno shares stories of his father and mother, Hans and Rita Birkigt. Hans was born in Germany, fought in WWI, then immigrated to Canada in 1928. Rita was born in Edmonton and fought in WWII. Hans loved to hunt and ran a goods and trapping…

Mineralogical Composition: Felsic; Muscovite, Quartz, Potassium Feldspar, Plagioclase Feldspar, Amphibole, Biotite Texture (extrusive/intrusive): Extrusive; Aphantic: fine-grained Other distinctive properties: Light coloured, pink, gray; Found as…

Mineralogical Composition: Intermediate; Quartz, Potassium Feldspar, Plagioclase Feldspar, Pyroxene, Amphibole, Biotite Texture (extrusive/intrusive): Extrusive; Aphantic: fine-grained Other distinctive properties: Dark gray to black; Found at…

Audio - Immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine in 1930 at 5½ months of age. Had seven siblings. Parents bought 160 acres for $10. Talked about coming to Athabasca, homesteading in the Deep Creek area, clearing land, school years, trapping. Married…

Common Forms/Occurrences: Common K-feldspar of pegmatites and hydrothermal veins; Prominent in granites Useful Identification Test: Demonstrates "tartan" twinning Chemical formula: KAlSi3O8 Crystal System: Translucent prisms with…

Key Characteristics: Low relief, colorless nature, undulatory extinction and uniaxial character are diagnostic 2V: n/a Relief: Low positive relief Cleavage: None Colour and Plechroism: Colorless in thin section Optical Orientation: Undulatory…

Key Characteristics: The high relief, lack of cleavage, crystal form and high birefringence are all diagnostic 2V: 2Vx = 46 - 98° Relief: High positive relief Cleavage: Cleavage not visible in thin section; Grains are commonly fractured and display…

Common Forms/Occurrences: Found in ultramafic igneous rocks and marbles formed from metamorphosed limestone Useful Identification Test: Gelatinizes in HCl Chemical formula: (Fe,Mg)2SiO4 Crystal System: Short crystals that may resemble sand grains…

Common Forms/Occurrences: Present in most igneous and both regional and contact metamorphic rocks Useful Identification Test: Transparent to translucent Chemical formula: K(Mg,Fe)3(Al,Si3O10)(OH,F)2 Crystal System: Very short prisms that split…